"We will have the opportunity to talk to the teen for the first time today," said Piontek on Monday. The 15-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack. He is still in the hospital but doing better. The police are not giving any precise details about the weapon used in the attack.

Investigators are hoping for witnesses to provide them with statements, anyone who saw something related to the incident is asked to call 0228/150. The perpetrator is said to be around 19 to 23 years old and 1.80 to 1.90 meters tall, with a slim build, light skin color and dark eyebrows. At the time of the crime, his face was partially covered by a hood and an FFP2 mask. The suspect was wearing a dark jogging suit with red stripes on the sleeves and was carrying a dark shoulder bag.

The public prosecutor's office has legally classified the attack as aggravated robbery and grievous bodily harm. The investigation into the violent crime is in full swing. "The perpetrator's objective was apparently to steal the 15-year-old's headphones," said Piontek. So far, it is unclear whether the perpetrator left the headphones at the scene of the crime voluntarily or whether the boy was able to get the headphones back. "The exact circumstances of the crime are still part of the investigation," says the spokesman.

The Hofgarten at the University of Bonn is the only large green space in the city center and is a meeting place for many students during the day. According to the police, however, it is also a place where many crimes are committed compared to other places in the city. It is therefore a focus of attention all year round. Daily patrols by the city police are intended to make the Hofgarten safer, as are the inspections that they carry out there.

Beyer said that video surveillance with a mobile camera mast will resume at the end of April, beginning of May. The cameras will not run around the clock, but will be operated live by police officers at certain times. "After the time change and also due to the higher temperatures, the Hofgarten is much busier. Experience has shown that this increases the number of crimes," says police spokesman Michael Beyer.

According to police, video surveillance is used in places where crimes have been committed repeatedly “…as long as facts justify the assumption that further crimes will be committed in these places", says Beyer. The Hofgarten is one of them. The cameras are not a substitute for police presence, but are used for prevention. Video footage has been secured in 16 cases so far, and it can be used as evidence in an investigation, according to the spokesperson. There has been mainly positive feedback from the public about the cameras. The citizens' perception of security is also essential for assessing the situation.

In connection with the video surveillance of the Hofgarten, police also monitor for street crime on Adenauerallee, Am Hofgarten, Regina-Pacis-Weg and Stockenstrasse. In 2023, the crime numbers rose by around ten percent compared to 2022, reports Beyer. Damage to property, thefts from motor vehicles and drug offenses increased. "Violations of the Narcotics Act are found during inspections. The more checks are carried out, the higher the numbers are," says Beyer. Cannabis products are primarily offered for sale in the Hofgarten area.

The number of minor assaults was down in 2023 compared to 2022, Beyer reports. There were around a dozen investigations in 2023. The number of dangerous and grievous bodily harm offenses remained almost the same in 2023 compared to the previous year and ranged from between ten and 15 offenses.

The attack on the 15-year-old was not the only knife injury near the Hofgarten. In April last year, the police launched an investigation into threats, assault and grievous bodily harm as a result of an altercation between three men. A 26 year-old and a 27-year-old man had threatened an 18-year-old with knives and punched him in the face with their fists. A few hours later, the 18-year-old stabbed the 27-year-old in the arm with a knife.

(Orig. text: Maaike Velden; Translation: ck)